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Light & Shadow

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-M

*****

Born to be betrayed….

I was an ice child, having the ill luck to be born early, in the deepest storms of the winter, when the drifts of snow can bury whole caravans without a trace, and the winds will cut a man open with slivers of ice. So they say, in any case, in the village in which I was born, the village huddled at the base of the mountain that houses the Winter Castle, the last outpost before the road winds west into Ismir.

So begins the story of Catwin. Orphaned and peasant born, Catwin is a nobody. She lives her life unseen and unthought of…until one fateful mistake brings her to the attention of the Duke of Voltur. The Duke is one of the most legendary and ruthless commanders of history, the absolute power of the Winter Castle, and a man determined to seize the throne by any means necessary.

Catwin, plucked from her life at the edge of the Kingdom, is thrust abruptly into the world of the Court when she is chosen by the Duke of Voltur to be a Shadow—spy, shield, and blade—to his niece, the Lady Miriel DeVere. The Duke’s ruthlessness is legendary, and he will stop at nothing to become the power behind the throne, using Miriel as a pawn to catch Garad’s heart.

But the Duke’s carefully-laid plans are only a piece of the intrigue of the court, and greater forces than Catwin can imagine are massed against her, determined to eliminate Miriel and impose a new order of their own. If Catwin and Miriel are to survive, they must learn quickly who to trust, and when to turn their skills against the very people who have trained them…

Winning is its own trap…

With Catwin’s help, Miriel has captured the heart of the King, but their victory has come at a cost: the suspicion and enmity of the Duke, and the unrelenting hatred of the Court. As they recover from the attempt on their lives, the two form a fragile alliance, promising that their first loyalty is to each other, and that their one goal is to survive.

But to survive, Catwin and Miriel need power, and the search for power of their own draws them ever further into the Court and inexorably closer to the throne. Enemies surround them, ruthless and vengeful, and the only way forward is a dark path that threatens to sever them from themselves.

For it is not only enemies that are a danger to Light and Shadow now, but the weakness of their own hearts. As she protects them both, Catwin struggles against her love for Temar, the Duke’s assassin; to capture the King’s heart, Miriel must forget both her love for Wilhelm, and her passionate belief in the populist uprising. A reckoning is coming, a betrayal that has been in the making for decades, and if they are to survive, both Catwin and Miriel must be prepared to give up everything they hold dear.

Follow your destiny…

At last, Catwin and Miriel have chosen their own path, escaping the Court and its machinations, and fleeing to the Norstrung Provinces, to aid the rebellion. As they shed the masks and deceptions of their former life, however, both must face the fact that the same dark forces they fled are at work even in the furthest reaches of Heddred.

But it is not only avarice and hatred that endanger them—the prophecy made at Catwin’s birth is slowly but surely coming true, and betrayal has followed her in her escape from the court. As the shadows of war and rebellion mass, Catwin must face the fact that if she wishes to be true to herself and her alliance with Miriel, it may be she who bears the cost of saving her kingdom…

Explore the world of Heddred…

A new king must find a way to end the invasion of his homeland. A young woman grapples with the reality of a devastating prophecy. A rebel finds himself aiding the monarchy he swore to overturn. Return to Heddred to learn more about characters familiar and unfamiliar, friends and foes…

22 thoughts on “Light & Shadow”

Just finished The Light and Shadow trilogy. This is one of those rare books which has only one flaw worth mentioning – it comes to an end. I can only hope that the author brings these characters to life again in the not-distant future.

I really enjoyed ‘Light and shadow’ trilogy. I was so involved that I would let my kindle read to me while I did my hair and make up for work. I even fell asleep in the midst of reading, my kindle propped up against a pillow, as I drifted off into hazy dreams from wherever the story left off. I hated it to end. But I guess it was for the best because now I can clean the house and get the dishes done. Oh, and maybe eat something too. I look forward to more!
Thanks for the journey,
Carolyn

Thank you so much! Not to further derail your life, but there is a set of short stories coming out in October, centered around the Light & Shadow characters. (There will be more books – at some point! I promise to give you fair warning 😉 ) I will be keeping everyone up to date with the mailing list and Facebook!

I have really enjoyed this series – just finished 2 and will read 3 next. Great, strong young ladies and a good storyline. You paint wonderful pictures that provide a great escape – just what I love in a book! Thank you.

I just finished shadowborn #1 in the shadow light trilogy. I have to say that I really liked it!! the characters were well defined & the storyline progressed at a steady rate that kept my attention. lol…in fact, I was just like another reader who fell asleep while reading (couldn’t put it down) only to wake with my kindle plopped over on my face!!
the character definition is so good that I literally want to reach into the book & stratch-out the eye balls of miriel’s uncle! seriously! 😉 oh & I love the cliff hanger for the ending. I knew I would be reading the next books after only reading half of the book however for any hold outs the ending will definitely spur them onto the next (& the next & the next!) again, I really enjoyed the book & I’m going to stop this review so I can move on to. book #2 Shadowforged. I’ll get back to you after I read it!

Just finished SHADOWFORGED and have already downloaded Shadow’s End. Can’t seem to put the books (Kindle on iPhone) down. The story and the girls mis-adventures totally enthrall me. Looking forward to the Novella next month.

I love the trilogy, I was so caught up in the story that I wept with the characters and could not put it down. I look forward to reading more about Catwin and Mirial as they explore Tamar’s homeland. Thank you for sharing your imagination it was wonderful.
Maxine

I read this series awhile ago on my nook, and loved it. I reread it again, and it was just as good as the first time, if not better, with the plot, the characters and all the suspense. I love how you wrote these beautiful books, and wish for more!!! Thank you for writing!

I loved this trilogy and read it in three days!! I haven’t been able to put a series down this reluctantly since I read The Assassin’s Apprentice! Thank you for the awesome story and I can’t wait to (hopefully) read more about Miriel and Catwin later!

First, I just want to say – this is the first book review I have ever been motivated to write. To be honest, I downloaded Shadowborn because it was free at the time and the synopsis seemed interesting. I assumed it was something I could read in my off time. But I devoured it mercilessly. Sometimes when I’ve read books by little known authors it has been painstaking, but I always try to finish a book. I never leave something unfinished. But this novel is a complete marvel, simply a joy to read. Moira, as an individual who has been reading since I could pick up a book (no joke, I was the only one reading in kindergarten) I commend you on your originality, intrigue, and strong (female) characters. It is so hard nowadays to find anything that doesn’t follow the stereotypical. If the world was a just place, I would see this turned into a television mini-series (in the least, but not a movie as it would simply not be enough time) if only they stuck true to the literature. You have an amazing way with words and I was never disappointed with the structural aspects of the novel (unlike some other books **cough cough fifty shades cough cough**). For any one who wants an original piece with strong, well-rounded characters who grow throughout the piece I would most definetly recommend this. You have done beautifully.

Kathryn, thank you so much for your kind words! It is a joy to connect with readers and know that we share a love of these characters! I am so, so glad you enjoyed the Light & Shadow Trilogy – you made my day!

I am so glad you put another book in this series and I found it to be even better then the first set. I do hope to see more but I’m just glad for what you have given us. I’m looking forward to reading even more of your works.

Of all your stories, I love the Light & Shadow series best. I can’t wait for the rest of the Sojourner Saga to come out. Please, please, pretty please with a cherry on top tell us that book 2 will come out soon!